Chapter 2 Arrival of the Legend

Aurelius International Airport.

The private jet touched down smoothly before taxiing toward a private section of the airport. As soon as it came to a halt, the cabin door opened and Landon Hayes stepped out, adjusting the cuffs of his jacket as his sharp gaze swept across the area below.

The scene waiting for him was enough to make most people feel important.

A military helicopter hovered above the VIP terminal while rows of armored vehicles occupied the restricted section of the airport. Secret Service agents stood at attention alongside high-ranking military officers and government officials. Several soldiers guarded the perimeter, their eyes scanning every movement around them.

It was an elaborate welcome, one prepared specifically for him.

Landon looked at the gathering for a few seconds before a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Still as dramatic as ever."

The assistant behind him chuckled nervously, unsure whether the comment was directed at the officials or the military command that had arranged the reception.

Without another glance toward the waiting crowd, Landon turned and headed in the opposite direction.

A few minutes later, he emerged from an alternate exit away from the VIP terminal. A black military SUV was already waiting.

Standing beside it was a broad-shouldered officer in a neatly pressed uniform. The moment he spotted Landon, he hurried forward, collected the luggage, and snapped a crisp salute.

"Welcome home, Major General."

Landon acknowledged the salute with a nod before studying the officer's face.

"Who leaked my arrival, Carter?"

The question caught the officer off guard. For a brief moment, hesitation flashed across his face.

"I looked into it while you were in the air, sir."

"And?"

"The name that kept appearing was Victoria Cross."

Landon's expression darkened slightly.

"Victoria Cross."

The name alone was enough to ruin his mood.

Ever since Ethan Cross's death, his younger sister had become difficult to understand. One day she wanted answers. The next day she seemed determined to blame the entire world for what happened.

"What exactly is she trying to accomplish now?" Landon muttered.

"I couldn't determine her motive, sir," Carter replied honestly. "But multiple sources confirmed that the information came from her."

Landon remained silent for a moment before letting out a slow breath.

Before he could say anything else, another agent approached and stopped a respectful distance away.

"Sir, the officials waiting at the VIP terminal are requesting instructions."

Landon raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of instructions?"

The agent shifted awkwardly.

"They would like to know whether they should continue waiting for your arrival."

A hint of amusement crossed Landon's face.

Through the airport buildings, he could still see the distant flashing lights surrounding the VIP section. Dozens of powerful people were standing there expecting him to appear at any moment.

Unfortunately for them, he had no intention of making their evening easier.

"Leave them there."

The agent blinked.

"Sir?"

"You heard me."

"But some of them have already been waiting for hours."

"Then they can wait a few more."

Without another word, Landon Hayes stepped into the black SUV waiting outside the airport. Carter entered after him and shut the door. The vehicle pulled away from the terminal, leaving behind the crowd of officials who had gathered to welcome one of the nation's most decorated military commanders.

Landon sat quietly as the city rolled past the windows. Velmor barely resembled the city he remembered. Towering buildings dominated the skyline. Massive digital screens covered entire structures, flashing advertisements day and night. Elevated transit lines stretched across the city while streams of vehicles filled the roads below. Everywhere he looked, there was something new.

For a moment, he wondered if the pilot had landed in the wrong city.

Ten years ago, Velmor had been a very different place. Parts of the city looked forgotten. Construction projects stalled halfway due to lack of funds, public facilities struggled to function properly, and every news broadcast seemed to carry reports about threats beyond the border. Now it looked like the capital of a superpower.

"A lot has changed," Landon said.

"The war changed everything, sir," Carter replied.

Landon stared out the window without answering. His thoughts drifted back ten years to the day he left this city as a young lieutenant fresh out of the military academy. The country had been thrown into war, and thousands of soldiers were deployed to the front lines.

Most young officers spent years proving themselves. Landon never had that luxury. The battlefield forced him to grow up quickly. One mission became ten. Ten victories became twenty. Soon his unit developed a reputation. They were always sent where the fighting was worst, and somehow they always came back victorious.

Promotions followed one after another. Lieutenant. Captain. Major. Colonel. General.

Before turning thirty, he had already become one of the youngest Major Generals in the country's history. Many people admired him. Many feared him. Neither mattered. Titles looked impressive on paper, but on the battlefield, survival was the only thing that counted.

After years of war, he had finally planned to take a break.

Then Ethan Cross died.

The thought darkened his expression immediately. Noticing the change, Carter reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded photograph.

"Sir, I think it's time you saw this."

Landon accepted it and unfolded the picture. The moment he saw it, his face hardened.

The photograph showed Ethan Cross lying dead on a steel table. But it wasn't the body that caught Landon's attention.

It was the eyes.

Or rather, the lack of them.

Someone had removed them, leaving behind two empty sockets.

For several seconds, Landon stared at the image without speaking. Ethan Cross was his closest friend, the man who had fought beside him through countless battles and the man who had once saved his life.

"This photo was taken after death," Carter said quietly.

Landon's eyes never left the photograph.

"I know."

The longer he stared at the photograph, the clearer it became.

This wasn't a simple murder. Whoever did this wanted to send a message.

His thoughts drifted to the last time he had seen Ethan. The memory remained as clear as yesterday.

It happened shortly before Ethan retired from the military. A sniper's bullet intended for Landon had changed everything. Ethan pushed him aside and took the shot himself. The injury left him paralyzed and ended his military career.

That night, while recovering in the hospital, Ethan seemed strangely optimistic. The two men spent hours talking. At one point, Ethan pulled a photograph from his wallet and handed it over.

Landon glanced at it. A beautiful young woman stood beside Ethan, smiling at the camera.

"This is Sophia Sterling."

"The famous Sophia?" Landon asked.

Ethan laughed. "So you've heard about her."

"You've mentioned her every time we've spoken for the last six months. It would be impossible not to."

Ignoring the teasing, Ethan looked back at the photograph. The hardened soldier seemed to disappear. In his place sat a man thinking about the future.

"I'm going to marry her."

"Have you proposed yet?" Landon asked with a smirk.

"Not yet."

"Then maybe start there."

Ethan laughed again. "I already know she'll say yes."

"Confident."

"I'm not confident."

Ethan tapped the photograph and smiled.

"I'm certain."

For a moment, silence settled between them.

Then Ethan's expression became serious.

"Landon."

"Hm?"

"I never wanted to become a soldier."

That caught Landon's attention.

"What do you mean?"

Ethan leaned back against the hospital bed.

"I joined because of my grandmother."

"That's a strange reason," Landon said.

"You haven't met my grandmother."

Ethan shook his head and laughed. "She always compared me to my older brother. Every single time. According to her, I was weak, timid, and completely useless."

"Harsh."

"That's putting it nicely."

He looked down at the photograph in his hands.

"I spent years trying to prove her wrong. I joined the military because I thought if I served my country, if I risked my life, if I accomplished something meaningful, she'd finally acknowledge me."

A bitter smile appeared on his face.

"And do you know what happened when I showed her Sophia's picture? She slapped me."

Landon remained silent.

Ethan turned the photograph over slowly. "She told me I didn't know my place. According to her, no matter what I achieved, I would never compare to Luther Cross. In her eyes, he was perfect. The ideal grandson. The one who could do no wrong."

He paused before continuing.

"My grandmother spent years reminding me that my mother's blood wasn't good enough for the Cross family. No matter how hard I worked, no matter what I accomplished, she always found a way to make me feel like an outsider. Sometimes I think she decided what I was worth before I was even born."

For several moments, neither man spoke.

When Ethan finally looked at the photograph again, all the bitterness seemed to disappear.

"But I don't hate them."

"After everything you just told me?"

"They're still my family." Ethan shrugged. "The only family I've got."

That conversation stayed with Landon long after it ended.

At the time, it felt like nothing more than two friends talking. Looking back now, it felt like a warning he had failed to understand.

It was also the last time they ever spoke.

A few days later, a wedding invitation arrived at his residence. Ethan's handwriting was scrawled across the bottom.

Landon, you better be there. No excuses.

The note had made him laugh.

He fully intended to attend.

Then Ethan died.

The official explanation never made sense. The details were inconsistent, important records vanished, and every question seemed to lead nowhere. Refusing to accept the story at face value, Landon assembled a covert team of trusted investigators. Some had served beside Ethan. Others owed him their lives.

Months passed with little progress. Every lead ended in a dead end. Witness statements conflicted with one another. Timelines failed to match. The deeper they dug, the more it felt as though someone had erased the truth before they could find it.

What they eventually uncovered was deeply disturbing.

There was no confirmed cause of death. Ethan's eyes had been removed after he died. And Sophia Sterling—the woman he had planned to marry—showed almost no sign of mourning before quickly returning to the Cross family.

Then came the family's explanation.

According to the Crosses, Ethan had fallen in love with Sophia despite knowing she belonged to Luther. They claimed he became obsessed with her, couldn't accept rejection, and eventually crashed his vehicle before taking his own life out of shame.

The story sounded believable.

The problem was that Landon knew Ethan.

A man who would throw himself into enemy fire to save a friend wasn't the kind of person who surrendered to heartbreak. He wasn't weak. And he certainly wasn't the type to pursue his own brother's fiancée.

The entire explanation felt manufactured, as though every detail had been arranged in advance.

"Sir."

Carter's voice pulled him back to the present. He reached into his briefcase and handed over a white envelope.

Landon opened it immediately.

The moment he saw the names printed inside, his expression hardened.

It was a wedding invitation.

[Luther Cross]

[Sophia Sterling]

The ceremony was scheduled to take place in ten days.

Landon stared at the invitation in silence.

A dead brother. A cancelled wedding. A suspicious death.

And now Luther Cross and Sophia Sterling were getting married.

"There is something else you should know," Carter said.

Landon looked up.

"The Cross estate has been busy all week. Preparations are already underway. From what we've gathered, today's gathering is being treated like a pre-wedding celebration."

Landon lowered his gaze to the invitation again. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver ring. It wasn't worth much, but he had worn it ever since Ethan gave it to him years ago.

His thumb brushed across the engraving inside.

A gift from a friend. A promise he had never forgotten.

"How long until we reach the Cross estate?"

"Less than twenty minutes."

"Good."

Carter hesitated.

"Should I notify them of your arrival?"

Landon slipped the ring back onto his finger and folded the invitation shut.

"No."

The vehicle continued down the road.

After a moment, Landon looked out the window.

"If they're celebrating," he said calmly, "let's not ruin the surprise."